Historical City of Ayutthaya Wat Chai Wattanaram gives an idea of how majestic Ayutthaya once was. The Ayutthaya heritage forms a significant part of the Thai culture that we know today. On the map. Ayutthaya or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is a province in the Central Plains of Thailand, located just north of Bangkok. In the heart of Thai people, however, the city is their old town – the former capital before Bangkok came to be – in which their own history is restored.
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Historical City of Ayutthaya
Wat Chai Wattanaram gives an
idea of how majestic Ayutthaya
once was. The Ayutthaya heritage
forms a significant part of the Thai
culture that we know today.
On the map. Ayutthaya or Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya is a province in the Central Plains of Thailand,
located just north of Bangkok. In the heart of Thai people, however, the city is their old town – the former
capital before Bangkok came to be – in which their own history is restored.
Throughout Ayutthaya, architectural
heritage reminiscent of the grand past – the 417
years that Ayutthaya reigned as the capital city –
can be seen. These include exquisite Buddha
images, magnificent temples, palaces and forts.
Each day, a number of people, young and old,
native Thais as well as foreign tourists, travel to the
city to pay homage to the sacred legacy and to
admire its splendid archaeological remains.
Viewed in a larger context, Ayutthaya is
not only a chapter in the book of Thai history but
also a significant kingdom whose rise and fall fulfils
the story of how countries in the region came into
being, and how they were related to one another
and to the world at large.
Physically, Ayutthaya may have fallen. It is
on longer the shining capital of the Siamese
kingdom. In terms of cultural continuity, however,
Ayutthaya has stayed on as a foundation for the
establishment of the Rattanakosin era. It is the basis
from which the Thai civilisation flows.
The kingdom of Ayutthaya may be no more. But the spirit of Ayutthaya lives on as a part of the Thai
cultural identity.
Historical and Archaeological
Before the Rise of Ayutthaya
"The Kingdom of Siam is one with a tough luck...Many old books, which should have given us a
window into our past, were lost. The little we are left with is but tiny compared to what we could have
enjoyed. Still, we know as a truth that this Kingdom of Siam thrived and prospered at times that might last
as long as 1,000 years. This fact should be evident to people interested in the history of Siam."
King Rama V, an address to the Society for the Exploration of Siamese Heritage, 1917
People of different races and ethnic origins had inhabited the land known as Ayutthaya for
thousands of years before Thailand came into existence.
The country's fertile Central Plains was the location of many large city-states. To the west were u
Thong (situated in the area of present-day Suphan Buri province), Kubua (Ratchaburi) and Nakhon Chai Si
(Nakhon Pathom), which were later developed into the kingdoms of Suvarnabhumi, Ratchaburi and Petchaburi
respectively. To the east lay Lavo (Lop Buri).
Around 1250 AD, a Chinese chronicle recorded that there were two dominant cities in the area; one
was called Xian (Siam and Suvarnabhumi) and the other was called Lorhok(Lavo). Sometimes, their
relationship was cordial; at other times they waged wars.
The kingdom of Ayutthaya-called Ayodhya Si Ram Thepnakhon in Sukhothai's 11th Stone Inscription
– emerged soon afterwards as major polity in the Lavo territory.
The ancient kingdom of Ayodhya was situated to the southwest of present-day Ayutthaya, at the
confluence of many rivers and streams. It was closer to the sea than Lavo. The access enabled the state to
get in touch with neighbours near and far more conveniently. It was no surprise that Ayodhya soon became
both a trading and power hub in the region.
The evidence that confirms the existence of human settlements in and around Ayodhya is the huge
Phra Phanan Choeng (Phra Buddha Trai Rattana Nayok, Luang Por To or Sam Por Kong).According to the
royal chronicles of Ayutthaya, the massive image of the Buddha in the position of Subduing Mara had been
built in Chulasakaraja (Lesser Era) 686 or 1324 – 26 years before Ayutthaya was founded in 1350.
Also, the colossal head of a Buddha image from Wat Dharmigharaj, which shares the same artistic
style with Phra Phanan Choeng but is made of broonze, is proof that people who lived there possessed
advanced skills in sculpture and metalwork.
These legacies indicate that the ancient Ayodhya community had both wealth and technological
know-how that would later serve as a foundation for the development of the kingdom of Ayutthaya.
The Rise of Ayutthaya
" In the Chula ara 712, the year of the tiger, on Friday the sixth of the waxing fifth month, at 9.54
am, the foundation of Ayutthaya was laid."
The 'Luang Prasoet' version of The Royal Chronicles of Ayutthaya
Legend has it that Wat Buddhaisawan had been the palace of king U Thong before he turned it into a temple
tribute to Buddhism.
(Right) This map of the island of Ayutthaya was drawn by a
foreigner who went to live in the kingdom.
(Left) The woodcarving on the pediment of the ubosot, or
ordination hall, at wat na Phra Men depicts the god Narai sitting
astride yhe Garuda in the company of celestial beings. The
king of Ayutthaya was associated with Rama,the heroic king in
the Ramayana who was an incarnation of the god Narai.
The Royal Chronicles stated that King U Thong founded Krungthep Dhavaravadi Si Ayutthaya
Mahadilok Noparat Ratchathani Burirum as the capital in 1350.
Certain Historians from previous generations believed that King U Thong led an exodus from
somewhere to build this new city. However, more studies of archaeological ruins and research into historical
evidence suggest that King U Thong simply moved the city centre from the older settlement of Ayodhya.
King U Thong's Ayutthaya was situated to the west of the ancient community of Ayodhya. It sat on
the confluence of three major rivers, namely the Chao Pharaya, Lop Buri and Pasak.
Both Ayodhya and Ayutthaya refer to the same kingdom of Rama, an avatar of the god Narsi, in the
epic Ramayana, The name mean'invincible city'.
Chinese chronicles recorded that during the reign of King U Thong, the two major cities of Xian and
Lorhok were integrateed. The consolidation gave much strength to the thus-born Ayutthaya. Before long the
kingdom expanded its power and brought into its control such formerly independent city-states as Sukhothai.
In 1431, during the reign of Chao Sam Phraya, Ayutthaya's army had grown in power to the extent
that it could march out and successfully take control of Phra Nakhon – the centre of power in the region at that
time - in Cambodia.
Ayutthaya, Capital of the kingdom
"Happy, original and courageous message in writing like a lion originating from the feet of the most
illustrious unconquerable, powerful and divine Lord, the all-seeing Supreme Sovereign of the most noble
Kingdom of Siam, the pride of the noble town of Judia, the divine Lord of the Golden House, the white and
red elephant, the happiest, greatest and chief Prince of all his vassals who shines like the pure sun and the
clear moon in the highest of Heavens, who is worshipped by his subjects with reverence and Joy,,,"
Translation of the King of Siam’s title as written in 1633 in his Missive to the Prince of Orange (Holland)
As Ayutthaya grew, King Borommatrailokanat (1448-1488) adjusted the structure of government to
accommodate change. He centralised power to the palace, created the sakdina system of hierarchy based on
the amount of land one was allowed to keep, and issued a law to control society.
The sakdina system governed the relationship between people of every social stratum - members of
the royal family, courtiers, bureaucrats, monks, subjects or slaves-across the kingdom. Each group of people
was allowed a different amount of land. The king separated the military and civil services. The nobles abided
by the chain of command according to the sakdina system.
The King was considered all – powerful. He was the only one exempted from having any sakdina.
During this period, Ayutthaya became a true capital – an administrative hub and a kingdom known
as the kingdom of Siam.
The fusing of the king's secular power with
religious attainment is evident in the Phra
Buddha Nimit Wichitmarnmolee Si Sanphet
Borommatrailokanat, the adorned Buddha image
in the ordination hall of Wat Na Phra Men.
According to Ayutthaya belief, the image
portrays a posture of the Buddha when
manifesting himself as an emperor.
The mural on the wall of Wat Pradu Songtham's vihara
shows a royal procession.
The King of Ayutthaya was believed to be a
dhevaraja, a divine ruler or an avatar of the Hindu god
Narai. The grand palace was thus built to conform to the
imagined layout of Mount Phra Sumeru, believed to be
the legendary centre of the universe.
At the same time, however, Buddhism
stipulated that the King ruled as a dharmaraja, governed
by righteousness. He was believed to be a bodhisattva
and protector of Buddhism.King Borommatrailokanat
gave sanctity to Ayutthaya by enshrining the Buddha's
relics there, During the early period of Ayutthaya, the
most important temple was Wat Mahathat, where the
relics were kept.
Later the king had Wat Phra Si Sanphet built
within the compound of the Grand Palace. It was a way
to proclaim his supremacy as the ruler of both the
secular and spiritual worlds.
Social and Culture
The Island Kingdom
" Siamese people call their capital Si Ayutthaya or simply Krung... Not only is the capital an island
itself, but it is also surrounded by many others....Even though the city is quite expansive, it's sparsely
populated. In the fourth part of the city, which lies in the south, there are only temples to house Buddha
images. People only gather there during big festivals. The three main rivers, which originated from the North,
flow around Ayutthaya and into three canals, which cut the Kingdom into different zones. We can get to
Ayutthaya by boat only. The place that is inaccessible to the boat is uninhabitable,"
Francois Henri Turpin histoire civile et naturelle bu royaume be Siam. (1771)
Three rivers surround Ayutthaya; the Chao Phraya, Lop Buri and Pasak. It is thus an island.
The rivers sarved conveniently both as the city's moat and water supply system. Since Ayutthaya as
well as the rest of the Central Plains received a heavy run-off from the North after the rainy season, people
who lived there learned to excavate water drainage canals off the natural waterways along a north-south
direction to help release the flood out of the city as fast as possible. The internal water drainage canals were
also linked to the other rivers both in and outside the island.
The yearly run-off brought with it
sediments that became natural fertiliser. The
fertility of the soil and the abundance of water
made the land such a perfect place for rice
cultivaton. Agriculture was for this reason the
foundation for the rise of Ayutthaya.
Europeans who passed through
Ayutthaya estimated that 150,000 to 200,000
people lived in the city; most of them resided
outside the walls. The city centre was where the
many temples, state agencies and palaces
were. The waterways were the main
transportation system.
A record describing the geographical
landscape of Ayutthaya mentions that there
were four major floating markets around the
island of Ayutthaya. Land-based markets,
including communities with speciality morning
as well as afternoon fresh markets, amounted to
about 40. There were 32 more outside the city
centre. Ships carrying merchandise from
kingdoms both near and far also arrived
regularly to trade with different communities in
Ayutthaya.
Ayutthaya's reliance on water earned it
the nickname of the 'Venice of the East' from
foreign visitors.
Port City with Multiracial Traders
" As the trade wind arrives in Ayutthaya, it is the season for commerce. Chinese junks, Arabian and